by Daniel Brouse
June 14, 2025
The Air Quality Index (AQI) categorizes anything above 300 as “hazardous”—the highest and most dangerous level of pollution. Today, Philadelphia has surged to an AQI of 372, while parts of Delaware have exceeded 440, signaling extremely unhealthy conditions for the entire population, not just those with pre-existing health conditions. These levels are rarely seen outside major environmental disasters.
This unprecedented spike is due to a rare convergence of wildfire smoke from both distant and local sources, with the crisis intensified by climate change. Massive wildfires burning across Canada—particularly in British Columbia, Alberta, and the Prairie provinces—have sent thick plumes of smoke drifting southward under a stalled high-pressure system. This upper-atmosphere smoke has blanketed much of the U.S. Northeast in fine particulate pollution (PM2.5).
Simultaneously, the Mines Spung wildfire in Burlington County, New Jersey, has been tearing through over 3,250 acres of Wharton State Forest. The fire remains only partially contained, and its smoke is pouring into the region at ground level, compounding the already critical pollution levels from the Canadian fires.
This dual-smoke event is pushing PM2.5 concentrations into the most dangerous range of the Air Quality Index. These microscopic particles can penetrate deep into the lungs and bloodstream, triggering respiratory distress, cardiovascular problems, and other serious health effects—even in otherwise healthy individuals. Children, seniors, and people with asthma or heart disease are especially vulnerable, but no one is safe at these levels.
Scientists increasingly link the intensity, frequency, and geographic spread of wildfires to climate change. Rising global temperatures, driven by greenhouse gas emissions, are creating hotter, drier, and longer fire seasons—a trend that is turning what were once rare pollution emergencies into a recurring public health crisis.
Residents are urged to stay indoors, limit physical activity, and run HEPA-rated air purifiers if available. If venturing outside is unavoidable, N95 or P100 masks are recommended. With wildfires expected to worsen in the coming decades, events like today are not outliers—they are a warning of what the future will hold if global emissions are not urgently curbed.